What are the differences between anise seed vs star anise?

Anise seeds are the dried fruit of fennel with a pale bluish gray, ovate appearance. It is usually attached to a very small stem, containing more than 20 fruits per kilogram of fennel. There are five fruit petals in every fruit, each has one seed, which is lightly sweet, like licorice fragrance, similar to "star anise". However, the shape and size of anise seed vs star anise are very different. The main components of anise seed are protein, fat, dietary fiber, anisole ketone, anisaldehyde, and so on.

Star anise is an evergreen tree of the genus Anise in the Magnoliaceae family. It comes into bloom in early summer. There are 8 to 9 wood follicles of every fruit with star-shaped and strong aromas. It can be used as spice or seasoning. The leaves and fruit can be extracted from "anise oil" and "anise brain" for medicinal purposes. The seeds of star anise are flat ovate, reddish-brown, and shiny. 

Different shapes of anise seed vs star anise

When we need to buy the finished product, it is also easy to distinguish from the appearance. Anise seeds are the fruit of a perennial herb, and star anise grows on trees. As a spice, a star anise has eight to nine points with a woody texture, so that’s why it’s called “star anise”. In the south of China, it is generally simply called "octagon", and the northerners often called it "aniseed". Each star anise is about the size of a dollar coin, but the anise seed is much smaller than that. Anise seed looks like a green, spiced grain. That’s the reason why it is named “anise seed”.

Different cooking purposes of anise seed vs star anise

Anise seed is a great choice to remove smell and enhance flavor. As a seasoning, it is an important component of five-spice powder and thirteen-spices, which is used to salt meat, thicken, and make filling, and is the basis of Chinese food seasoning. When braising, putting the whole anise seed into the mixing bag can suppress the odor while the true flavor of the meat is shined through immediately. The beans of alcoholic grayling eaten by Kong Yiji, a character in a Chinese novel, are cooked with anise seed as the bottom material. 

In addition, anise seeds are bittersweet and have a camphor flavor, which is more powerful than fennel leaves. Star anise, also known as anise, is milder with an attenuated stimulation flavor that amplifies the sweetness, a bit of mint and licorice. In traditional Chinese seasoning, star anise is a good partner with cinnamon and pepper, which mainly provides a sweet base flavor. Making vegetarian dishes taste meaty is a remarkable ability of star anise.

Different medicinal value of anise seed vs star anise

As a traditional Chinese medicine, anise seeds have the effect of warming the stomach, dispelling cold, and digestion-promoting. Besides, it is very useful to treat the initial onset of the disease of cold pain. The preparation made by anise seed is usually applied to strengthen the stomach, dispel cold, and relieve pain, which is recorded in Chinese Pharmacopoeia. 

Anise seed and star anise have similar effects, but the medicinal power of star anise is weaker, and anise seed is mostly used in medicine. It is worth mentioning that the shikimic acid of the anti-flu drug Tamiflu is extracted from star anise, but this does not mean that star anise foam can treat the flu. It is necessary to take medicine and rest well.

Different origin places of anise seed vs star anise

Anise seeds are native to Egypt and the countries in Southern Europe, Central and South America, Northeast Africa, and India also produce this spice. The best anise seed is produced in Spain, sweet with spicy.

Star anise is native to Guangxi, also distributed in Guangdong, Fujian and other places. It is also distributed in Spain, Russia, Japan and other countries. Star anise likes warm, humid climates, and should avoid strong light and drought, strong winds. 

Conclusion: 

Finally, it is necessary to give a conclusion on the topic of “What are the differences between anise seed vs star anise”. Anise seed and star anise are two different spices. Both of them contain an ingredient called anisole, which is the only thing they have in common. But there are obvious differences between them in shapes, medicinal values, and cooking uses.